D-Y Regional Schools Superintendent Carol Woodbury said the plan is to send sixth- and seventh-graders to Mattacheese Middle School in West Yarmouth, while eighth-graders in both towns would attend D-Y High in South Yarmouth.

Dennis approves school changes

By CYNTHIA McCORMICK

cmccormick@capecodonline.com

February 28, 2013 - 2:00 AM

SOUTH DENNIS — Special town meeting on Wednesday voted in a sweeping change for the school district that will allow students to cross town lines for their education.

Attendees whipped through a five-article warrant in less than 30 minutes, skipping discussion about the first and most weighty item, which allows Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District officials to send elementary students in grades 4-8 across town lines.

Currently, except for an eighth-grade choice program at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, elementary school students attend class in their own towns.

The change approved in the regional school district agreement will allow school officials to send fourth- and fifth-graders from both Yarmouth and Dennis to the Nathaniel H. Wixon Middle School in South Dennis, scene of Wednesday's special town meeting.

D-Y Regional Schools Superintendent Carol Woodbury said the plan is to send sixth- and seventh-graders to Mattacheese Middle School in West Yarmouth, while eighth-graders in both towns would attend D-Y High in South Yarmouth.

Youngsters in grades K-3 would go to school in their hometown.

Woodbury said she wasn't surprised by the lack of controversy.

"We've had 25 public meetings" on the issue, she said. "A lot of people have come to our meetings. They've asked very tough questions. We wanted to be transparent."

The consolidation will allow educators in both towns to join forces, maximize resources and strengthen enterprising new projects, such as extended day programs, expanded foreign language offerings and the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program for eighth-graders at the high school, Woodbury said.

There are no plans to reduce staff, she said. "You have to look at it as the staff following the children."

Yarmouth town meeting already has approved the change in the regional school district policy, Woodbury said.

Selectman Heidi Schadt called the school warrant article "one of the most important votes that's been taken since I was a selectman."

Bringing Dennis and Yarmouth students together starting at Grade 4 will strengthen programs and enhance teaching, Schadt said. "The offerings are going to be terrific."

The article passed by a voice vote, but about 20 minutes into the special town meeting several people asked to reconsider the article so people could discuss it.

A hand vote to reopen the discussion failed, however.

The other four articles on the warrant also passed by voice vote, including an article that increases the percentage of off-road vehicle fees going to a barrier beach protection stabilization fund.

Twenty percent of fees from ORV permit sales went into the fund established in 2011 to restore and police barrier beaches.

The passage of Article 2 makes it 40 percent and gives selectmen the authority to increase or decrease the percentage in the future.

Article 3 allows the town to spend nearly $29,000 on a cost-and-benefits analysis for controlling erosion at Chapin Memorial and Corporation beaches.

The article was on the warrant long before the Feb. 8 blizzard, which caused significant erosion at both beaches.

Article 4 grants an easement to the Dennis Water District to upgrade the septic system serving its office at 80 Old Bass River Road.